


Life is Sweet

by KittyCargo



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: 5 + 1, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Bakery, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Muggle, Bakery, Bakery AU, Cake, Implied/Referenced Cheating, James Potter (background) - Freeform, Lily Evans Potter (background), M/M, Peter Pettigrew (background) - Freeform, Regulus Black (background), baker!Remus, cakes, cheating is not between R/S, meet cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-02
Updated: 2021-02-02
Packaged: 2021-03-13 02:20:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,005
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29145825
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KittyCargo/pseuds/KittyCargo
Summary: Five times Sirius bought a cake (and one time he shared it with someone).
Relationships: Sirius Black/Remus Lupin
Comments: 62
Kudos: 331
Collections: The Candy Hearts Challenge





	Life is Sweet

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to my wonderful betas, [kattlupin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kattlupin) and [Halictus](https://archiveofourown.org/users/halictus/profile). You both had such great suggestions and edits and were very encouraging! And a special thanks to my personal cheerleader and wordslut, [Starstruck4Moony](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Starstruck4Moony/pseuds/Starstruck4Moony). This fic wouldn't have happened so quickly without you encouraging (pushing) me. <3
> 
> This fic idea started from my candy heart prompt, YOLO, and was helped a lot by [this tumblr post](https://consistentlyaverage.tumblr.com/post/641067526401523712), which I found hilarious.

Remus heard the bell ring as a new customer entered the bakery. “I’ll be with you in just a minute!” he shouted out from the back where he was doing inventory. He hadn’t expected anyone this close to closing, but was glad to make another sale on what had been a rather slow day.

“Hi, w-what can I help you with?” Remus stuttered in shock as the handsome man straightened up from getting a closer look at the cakes in the display case. He was tall, with shockingly bright blue-gray eyes surrounded by dark lashes and a well-kept beard. His dark, curly hair was long and hung to just below his shoulders. Remus’ mouth felt dry. 

“Do you have anything with caramel?”

“Um, yeah. I’ve got a caramel mousse cake left. Would you like that?”

“That’d be perfect. She hates caramel.”

Remus’ eyebrows went up and he turned to find a box to try and hide his unprofessional expression.

“Is there anything else I can do for you?”

“No, I think that’ll be — wait! Can you write on it?”

“Of course!” Remus reached for a piping bag. “What would you like it to say?”

There was a moment of silence; Remus risked a glance over his shoulder. The handsome man looked thoughtful. “What do you write on a break up cake for your cheating girlfriend?”

Remus thought for a moment at the unusual request. “Life will be sweeter without you?”

The other man laughed. “Perfect! Yeah, write that, please. And add a heart?”

Remus nodded to show he heard as he carefully piped the message; even his break up cakes needed to look professional. He placed the cake in the box and then showed it to the customer.

“That looks great. Thank you,” the man said, making Remus blush. It was nice to have someone so courteous after dealing with so many Karens placing birthday cake orders for their little brats most days.

“You’re welcome!” Remus rang him up and mechanically went through the transaction process. The man paid, and started towards the door. “I hope you come back, if you ever need a cake again!”

The man stopped and grinned. “Oh, don’t worry. I will!”

* * *

It was about 2 weeks before the handsome man returned. He came in on a Tuesday afternoon this time, his hair swept back into a bun. It made his eyes stand out even more than the last time.

“Hey! You’re back! Not another break up cake?”

The man barked a laugh. “Oh god, no. Thankfully not. The look on her face though! I should’ve broken up with her ages ago.”

Remus smiled. “What can I get for you today?”

“I’d actually like to place a special order.”

Remus handed him a form and explained how to fill it out, then left him to fill it out while he iced cookies for a baby shower.

“Alright, I’m done!” the man called out after about 10 minutes. Remus set down the royal icing and came back to look over the order form.

“Okay, so you want a confetti cake with whipped icing and….’YOLO’ written on top?”

“It’s kind of a long story.”

Remus looked pointedly around at the otherwise empty shop. “I’ve got time.”

“Well, to try and make a long story short, my best friend got drunk, shouted ‘YOLO,’ then tried to slide down a bannister but instead broke his leg. He’s in surgery right now, so I thought I’d get him a cake for when he’s out.”

Remus stared at him for a moment. “You’re serious?”

The other man chuckled. “That’s my name.”

“Huh?”

He pointed to the top of the order form where the customer’s name went. “Sirius. Sirius Black. It’s nice to meet you…”

“Remus.” Remus shook Sirius’ hand a bit dazedly. He felt like he was trying to keep up with someone way out of his league. 

“So yes, I am unfortunately serious and Sirius.”

“I can have your cake ready by noon tomorrow. Does that work for you?”

“That’s perfect! Do you have any creative suggestions to add?”

Remus paused to think. People didn’t usually ask him for his opinion on their cakes. “What if, underneath the ‘YOLO,’ I wrote ‘You Only Limp Once’?”

Sirius grinned. “I knew I came to the right cake shop!”

They added the new decoration idea to the order form, and Sirius scrawled his approval at the bottom.

After he paid and left the shop, Remus put the baby shower cookies aside. He had a much more fun project to start working on.

* * *

The bakery was busy on Saturdays. People picked up their different treats early in preparation for afternoon and evening parties and Remus felt like he was in constant motion, running to the back to grab an order or repiping the name on a cake after an absentminded dad spelled it incorrectly on the order form. Finally around dinner time the last order had been picked up and when the counters were clean he sent his coworker home as he finished tidying.

The bell dinged and Remus looked up from where he was sweeping, worried he’d missed an order. Instead it was Sirius, shaking his hair out of a motorcycle helmet. Remus tried to keep his eyes on Sirius’ face, but they kept straying to his shoulders where a leather jacket hugged his form perfectly.

“You’re closed?” Sirius asked, a furrow appearing in his brow.

“Not yet! What can I do for you today?”

“Another cake order form, if you don’t mind.”

“Of course!” Remus set aside the broom and grabbed an order form, rummaged in a drawer to find an extra pen. He finished his sweeping as Sirius began to fill out his form. Remus watched, exhausted, as the clock ticked past the 7, meaning they were now, officially, closed. He rubbed at an achy spot on his shoulder and flipped the sign from “OPEN” to “CLOSED.”

“I’m sorry! I didn’t mean for you to have to stay late. I can come back tomorrow!” 

“No worries. I just didn’t want anyone else coming in,” Remus waved him off. 

“Well, how much longer will you be here?” Sirius asked, the furrow in his brow reappearing.

“Um…well…”

“You’re just waiting on me, aren’t you?”

“Kinda,” Remus admitted, feeling bad but also very tired.

“Hmm. Have you eaten yet?” Remus shook his head. “How about we go get a bite to eat and I’ll buy you dinner in return for your creative genius.”

“Oh, no, that’s just part of my jo—” Remus started to decline, but Sirius interrupted.

“Nonsense! We’ll call it an after hours consultation. Please? I can’t think of a pun for this one. Besides, you look dead on your feet.”

Remus frowned a bit at the unintentional insult, but his stomach growled and that won out. “Alright,” he relented. “Where are we going?”

“Have you been to that ramen shop down the street?” Remus nodded and Sirius grinned. “Perfect! Shall we go there?”

Remus turned off the bakery lights and locked the door behind him. He shivered slightly in the crisp autumn air and before he could protest, Sirius had whipped off his jacket and draped it over Remus’ shoulders. It was warm from Sirius’ body and Remus couldn’t help but sink into it. He shoved his arms into the sleeves and pulled it tight around him. 

Dinner with Sirius was one of the most enjoyable meals that Remus had had in a long time. Their conversation flowed easily and Remus found himself laughing repeatedly as Sirius recounted stories of himself and his best friends. Which eventually brought them back around to the order form.

“It’s for my friend, Peter. He just got this big promotion that he’s been working so hard for and I wanted to get him a cake to celebrate,” Sirius explained. Remus couldn’t help but be charmed by this man who was so vivacious and cared so much for his friends.

“Hm...well, what kind of cake were you thinking?”

“I don’t know. He likes...cheese?” Sirius seemed a bit helpless.

“We have a carrot cake with cream cheese frosting that’s really good,” Remus offered. “Or maybe a cheesecake?”

“Oh, he’d love a cheesecake!”

Remus reached across and took the order form from Sirius, and their hands brushed accidentally in the switch. Remus quickly filled out the form, much more familiar with it than Sirius.

“What if it says ‘Congrats on being the Big Cheese?’” Remus asked.

“Yeah!” Sirius’ eyes lit up with excitement when he smiled and Remus smiled with him; his enthusiasm was contagious.

They finished figuring out the last details of the cake and pick-up time, then Sirius paid for their dinner and they walked out together. Sirius walked him back to the bakery before rumbling off into the distance on his motorcycle with a good-bye wave. Remus realized with a start that he still had Sirius’ jacket, but then again, he’d see Sirius soon for the cake anyways. It seemed that Remus had a new regular and perhaps a new friend.

* * *

Since their dinner together in October, Sirius dropped by the bakery semi-regularly, usually with a dirty chai latte in hand, even though he teased Remus that the espresso would make his hands shake when he decorated.

The bell tinkled on a chilly November afternoon, and Remus looked up to see Sirius empty-handed. “Where’s my coffee?” he teased, before he noticed the look on Sirius’ face. “What is it?”

“I’m going to be an uncle,” Sirius said, his voice full of wonder and excitement as his face broke into the biggest smile Remus had seen so far.

“That’s great news! Congratulations!”

“Thank you! Oh my god. A baby!” Sirius said, as if he’d never heard of such a thing.

If Remus was being honest with himself, this was what he loved about Sirius — the man’s constant enthusiasm for all of life. If Remus was being slightly less honest with himself, he’d say that Sirius’ enthusiasm was what made him such a fun _friend_.

“Well, we need a cake to celebrate, don’t you think? What’s the mother-to-be like?”

“Lily? She’s wonderful, but don’t tell her I said that! She’s going to be a great mom! Like, the kind of mom who —”

“No, no,” Remus chuckled. “I meant what kind of cake does she like?” Sirius stopped and took a breath, perhaps the first one he’d taken since entering the shop.

“Oh! She likes coffee!”

Remus thought for a minute. He wasn’t super familiar with pregnancy, but was pretty sure caffeine wasn’t usually allowed. “Can she have that?”

Sirius frowned. “I have no idea. Hold on, let’s just call James.” He pulled out his phone, tapped on the screen, and put it on the counter. The speakerphone rang loudly throughout the bakery.

“Helllllllloooo!” answered a baritone voice.

“Hey, James! I’m at the bakery getting a cake —”

“I bet that’s not _all_ you’re getting!”

Sirius ignored him and continued, but flushed a bit. Remus wondered if maybe Sirius would order some cookies this time in addition to the cake. “And I’ve got you on speakerphone with the baker —”

“Oh, hi Remus!”

Remus started, surprised that Sirius’ best friend knew his name. “Um, hi James,” he greeted. Seeing Sirius’ encouraging smile, he decided to continue. “We’re planning a cake for Lily and wondered what flavors she likes. Sirius suggested coffee, but I wasn’t sure if she could have an espresso cake or not.”

“Oh god, don’t make her coffee! Just the smell’s been triggering her morning sickness. She’s been eating lots of bananas — no, don’t do that either. She’s shaking her head no at me. Let me see what else she’s craving besides bananas and pickles, unless you want to make a banana-pickle cake.” James’ voice was muffled for a second, then he came back. “She says she’s dying for strawberries.”

“I can make a strawberry cake!” Remus’ mind was already racing with possibilities. “Can she eat cream cheese if I make a cream cheese frosting? Or should I stick with buttercream?”

There was a shuffle, then a woman’s voice said “I _can_ eat cream cheese, but anything cheese related hasn’t been settling well. Just normal buttercream, please! 

“Sure thing!” Remus made a note.

“I can’t wait to see what pun you’ll come up with for this one! We still laugh about YOLO whenever James limps!”

“We were just going to write ‘Congrats About Having Sex’ on this cake,” Remus snarked, then froze as he realized what he’d said to a stranger.

Sirius laughed first, loud and barking and wonderfully familiar, but Lily’s laugh tinkled through the phone and Remus relaxed. “I like this one! Let’s see if we can keep him around, eh Sirius?”

“I’ll see what I can do,” Sirius replied with an easy smile. They said their good-byes, then hung up. Sirius began to pull out his wallet.

“No, no! This one’s on the house! I was the one who said you’d need a cake for the occasion.” Remus tried to wave him off. 

“Nonsense! I was going to buy a cake anyways!”

“No, seriously! I insist!”  
“You can’t be Sirius — _I’m_ Sirius!”

It was hard to ignore Sirius’ joke, which still hadn’t gotten old even though he made it approximately once a week, but Remus tried to be stern. “I’m not running your card!”

“Alright, alright! I can tell when I’ve been beat. Hey, since you’re not letting me pay with money, can I pay you with labor and help with this cake?”

And that was how Sirius ended up behind the counter, slicing the tops off strawberries side by side with Remus, their elbows bumping into each other pleasantly. After Sirius left, carrying a cake bearing the words “Congrats on Your Straw-baby,” Remus found $50 in the tip jar.

* * *

It was several weeks before Remus saw Sirius again. The bakery stayed busy during the holiday season, and he knew Sirius was busy with friends and family celebrations too. Still, he missed Sirius’ warm presence in the bakery.

Remus wasn’t sure if he just had a case of Sirius on the brain, but he thought he noticed several customers who seemed coincidentally familiar. A short, stocky man with pale blue eyes came in and looked at cheesecakes but ended up just buying a cookie instead. A couple — the woman beaming and bubbly, with red hair, and the man limping slightly — who bought not one, but _two_ strawberry cakes and placed an order for a baby shower cake months in advance. The one that hurt the most though was the day Remus glanced up and thought Sirius was back, but then realized it was just a stranger who bore a striking resemblance. He bought a small lemon cake, and was polite but seemed to be studying Remus. Remus would’ve sworn he could feel the stranger’s eyes following his every move but everytime he looked up, the Sirius-doppelganger was texting on his phone. It was _weird._ Remus wanted to tell the one person whom he had no way of contacting — he was very tempted to find Sirius’ number on one of the previous order forms but he always managed to talk himself out of that. It was unprofessional and most of all _creepy._

Remus had just about given up on seeing Sirius again when the man himself waltzed into the bakery, cheeks pink from the mid-January cold and carrying a dirty chai. Remus loved the conflicting styles of his leather jacket with the slightly lumpy knitted cobalt scarf.

He reached for his chai, but Sirius held it up, just out of his reach without climbing over the counter. “Just grabbing for the coffee? Not even a hello for me?”

“Hello, give me the caffeine.”

Sirius huffed, but handed over Remus’ drink. Remus took a sip and gave an exaggerated sigh of relief. “And here I thought maybe you’d missed me, but I see how it is. You only missed your coffee.”

“Aw, don’t sell yourself short. I would’ve missed your wit if you had any.”

“I’m wounded, Remus. Wounded! And here I came to sing your praises!”

“Go on, then. I’m listening.”

“No, I can only think of bad things to say now.” 

Sirius’ grin said otherwise, but Remus played along. “Well, if you tell me what you plan to write on the complaint form ahead of time I’ll help you spell it.” 

Sirius’ laugh filled the bakery and Remus’ heart — he’d missed Sirius’ warm presence and their easy back and forth.

“My brother’s birthday is this month.” Sirius leaned his elbows on the counter, crowding a bit into Remus’ space but Remus didn’t mind.

Remus reached for an order form. “Need a cake?”

“You know it.”

They spent more time goofing off than truly planning the cake. Sirius bought a mini pineapple upside down cake and ate it at the counter while he filled out the form. It was distracting, especially since he made an indecent moan nearly every time he took a bite.

“Am I interrupting something?” Remus asked after a particularly loud sound.

Sirius looked up, surprised; he had cake crumbs on his chin, and Remus could only hope he didn’t look as smitten as he felt. 

“What?”

“Do you need me to leave you alone with that cake? You’re enjoying it far too much,” Remus teased again.

“Pineapple upside down is my favorite, and yours is the best I’ve ever had,” Sirius said, before taking another bite.

Remus blushed. He hadn’t been expecting such a sincere compliment. “Well, thanks.”

“Of course!” Sirius paused as he scraped the crumbs into a pile on the plate, then pressed his fork into it to try and get them all. “What’s yours?”

Remus was momentarily distracted by the fork disappearing into Sirius’ mouth. “My what?”

“Your favorite kind of cake?”

Remus stopped. In all the years he’d worked at the bakery, first with his parents, then taking it over himself after they retired, no customer had ever asked him what his favorite cake was.

“Chocolate,” he said, a bit embarrassed. He knew it was perhaps a tad boring, but he preferred to think of it as a classic flavor. Sirius looked thoughtful. Remus cleared his throat and tried to refocus. “What kind do you want for your brother?”

“Lemon. Definitely lemon. That’s his favorite.”

“Alright. Since it’s for his birthday do you want something about ‘zest for life’ or ‘don’t be sour you’re another year older’?”

Sirius looked sheepish. “I actually want it to say ‘Happy Birthday Regular Black.’”

“Happy Birthday Regular Black?” Remus asked confusedly.

“My brother’s name is Regulus. If we change it, it makes him the _regular_ Black brother, opposed to me, the handsome, special, extraordinary Black brother.”

“So humble, too.”

“Oh yes. Can’t forget humble.” Sirius laughed.

They finished the order details, and Remus hoped that Sirius might hang around for the baking process again, but was disappointed when Sirius checked the time and started to put his jacket and scarf back on.

“I’ll come back soon,” Sirius promised.

Remus tried not to let his hopes get up. It’d been weeks since the last time Sirius had visited his shop. “I hope so. I need my afternoon caffeine fix. And you have a cake to pick up.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Sirius smiled and winked as he left the shop. Remus waved at Sirius through the window as he sped off on his motorcycle, his heart sinking as he watched Sirius’ shrinking form. Better to be prepared now for disappointment than to let it crush him later.

* * *

“Wow, you look handsome! Hot date tonight?” Remus teased the next time Sirius walked in. He always looked good, but in getting to know Sirius’ easy-going, fun-loving personality, Remus had forgotten just _how_ good Sirius could look. His hair was swept back into a half-pony so his eyes stood out more than usual. His pants were snug and clung slightly to show off his well-muscled thighs, but the thing that really caught Remus’ attention was that Sirius had traded his trademark leather jacket for a black double-breasted blazer with four big silver buttons down both sides. It was open over a plain blue t-shirt, and drew attention to Sirius’ shoulders. Remus had always been weak for shoulders. And then he caught Sirius’ expression.

“Actually, yeah! Or I hope so. I haven’t asked them out yet. But I finally have a plan! I think it’ll be perfect! And —”

“— you need a cake?”

“I do!” Sirius’ eyes were shining and Remus’ heart sank as he plastered on his customer service smile. The lions on the silver buttons seemed to mock him.

“Do you need an order form? Or one from the case?”

“I want one of the small chocolate ones from the case, please, but could you write on it for me?”

Remus scrutinized the two chocolate cakes left in the case and picked the one with more chocolate shavings. Sirius, and by extension his date, deserved the best. He pulled it out and readied a piping bag. “What do you want it to say?”

“Oh, hold on.” Sirius dug in his pocket for a moment and pulled out a neatly folded piece of paper and handed it to Remus. “Lily helped me come up with it. ‘I like you a choco-lot.’”

Remus smiled at the pun in spite of himself. He tightened the end of his piping bag and took his time creating each letter. Sirius watched him, quietly for once, as line by line he created straight block letters to write ‘I LIKE YOU A’ then paused, straightened up for a moment and reset before carefully writing ‘Choco-lot’ in curly cursive letters. The different fonts made it more eye-catching, and the completed cake was beautiful, if Remus did say so himself.

Sirius was full of antsy energy, and he paid and accepted the cake box in a hurry. He stopped at the door, then turned back once more. “Wish me luck?” he asked nervously.

Remus took in the full picture of Sirius. Gorgeous, goofy Sirius who could take a joke and loved his friends and always said ‘thank you’ to Remus. “You don’t need it. Anyone would be lucky to have you,” Remus said honestly.

Sirius’ cocky grin was back, and with a shouted “Thanks!” he was out the door. 

Remus sighed, and took stock of the empty shop and tried to be glad for Sirius. He served more customers and decorated more cakes and plastered on a smile until finally it was 6:58 and he’d be able to close in 2 more minutes. He went to the back and wiped down a counter that was already clean just for something to do. The bell dinged at the door and his shoulders slumped. He’d been so close to being done. He took a breath and walked out.

It was Sirius, looking worried and earnest and handsome. 

“Sirius, don’t you have a date? Was there something wrong with the cake?”

“No, no. The cake is perfect.”

“Then why are you here? You should be out on your date!”

“Well, I brought ramen and dessert, and I was rather hoping we could have our date here. If you’ll go out with me, that is.” Sirius held up a bag of take-away and Remus froze.

“Go out...with you?” Remus said slowly, his brain trying to catch up with his fast-beating heart.

“Yeah, I like you a choco —”

“Oh my god, don’t finish that sentence! It’s cute on a cake but it’s cheesy in person.” Remus laughed.

Sirius laughed with him. “I know, I know! So what do you say? Dinner with me? I’ve got everything packed for an indoor picnic. Candles and all. And I bought a chocolate cake which I have on good authority is your favorite.”

Remus pretended to think for a moment. “You know, I’m a vegetarian but I’ll make an exception for a beefcake like you.”

Sirius laughed and began laying out a blanket for their indoor picnic. It turned out that sometimes life could be sweet.

**Author's Note:**

> You can find me (and a very pretty moodboard that I made for this fic) on [tumblr!](https://kittycargo.tumblr.com/post/641973914594050048/remus-heard-the-bell-ring-as-a-new-customer)


End file.
